The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-07-28
MALEVOlENT PARTISANS.
The Incidents That Led to the Now His
torlcal ~. Louis Muddle-

torical ~. Louis Muadl1-
The reason why the President of the
United States is not going to visit st.
Louis, as he originally intended to do,
is because certain organizations in :
few Western States which assume &c
speak for the veterans of the army sig.
nified an unwilingness to receive him
and purpose to insult and perhaps &c
attack him if he appeared there. Thi.
is tho first time in the history of the
Republic when. in time of peace, the
President has been debarred from visit.
ing any section of the Republic by rca.
son of the hostility of the people 1t is
significant and q melancholy fact
that the disloyal expressions which
. have brought about this humiliatine
conclusion have emanatcd from men
arrogating much patriotism to them
selves and assuming to speak for sol
diers of the Union.
For purposes of historic accuracy il
may be worth while to recall the inc;.
dents leading up to this fact. The
Grand Army of the Republic is to hold
Il reunion this fall in st. Louis. A.
the occasion promises TO be 4 notable
one. many citizens conceived the idea
of inviting the President to be there al
the same time. and a graceful tender
OF the city's hospitalities being made,
the proposition was duly accepted.
Immediately Il few political ruilians in
Des Moines, who have been prostitute
ing G. A. Il. charter to the dirtiest
tricks which malevolent and fanat
ical mind could conceive of. formu
lated protest and announced that
if the President were to be ut the re-
union they and other Iowa veteran:
would refuse to march past him and
would insult him on sight. Some other
professional veterans in Kansas fol-
lowed suit and set all the camp follow
ers and bounty jumpers in the country
to threatening what they would and
would not do if. at Il reunion popular
ly supposed to be of the most loyal and
valOrous men in the country, the Presi-
dent of that country, to whom all owe
allegiance, should be present.
No one who is acquainted with the
real veterans of the Union armies
doubts for minute what sort of 4
reception the President would receive
ut their hands in ST Louis or else.
where, but under the circumstances il
is probably wise move on Mr. Clevc.
lands part TO remain away from s
gathering which. plainly enough, is
to be dominated more or less by Il lot
of vicious blatherskites who recognize
no allegiance higher than party. The
vulgar blackguards in Iowa and han
sas will no doubt be gratified at the
success Of their Ku-kluX tactics, but
the Presidents refusal to attend the re-
union will cause the vast majOrity OF
the old soldiers regret and shame. II
the incident shall lead. as it should, to
the purging of the G. a. II. of the
reckless villains who assume in some
States to speak for it it will not be
without value. The President has
done his duty. 1t now remains for the
candid and honorable men in The
Grand Army to do theirs. The public
ut large will not be long in disassOciat-
ing in their minds the grand army
which put down the rebellion from
that Grand Army whose mouthpieces
in the West are the venomous repro
Dates and latter day Copperheads of
Des Moines ard Topeka. - Chicago
Hel.0JH